Apparatus for forming retractile cords



Jan. 22, 1952 Filed Aug. 19. 1949 P. R. PONELL.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETRACTILE CORDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 4a so 58 s I 1 L 1 7 I 8 j 64 I02 I 76 30 46 [32 /7o 74 I Q I j 7 66) 6.2- 0 .4 E 9 68 I 1 44 3m iH 2 |1L FIG.

INVENTOR PR POWELL ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1952 P. R. POWELL ,583,

APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETRACTILE CORDS Filed Aug. 19, 1949 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 v m b v o 'o l \\\\\\T\ l I t\\\\\\\\\\ m I N 2 lNl/ENTOA R R. POWELL A TTORNEV Jan. 22, 1952 P. R. POWELL 2,583,119

APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETRACTILE CORDS Filed Aug. 19. 1949 5 Sheet's-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR P. R. POWELL A T TORNE V Jan. 22, 1952 P. R. POWELL APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETRACTILE CORDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 19, 1949 INVENTOR 2 RP WELL ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1952 A POWELL 2,583,119

APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETRACTILE CORDS I Filed Aug. 19, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R R. POWELL ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1952 APPARATUS FOR FORMING RETR-ACTILE ooRDs Paul R. Powell, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 19, 1949, Serial No. 111,133

17 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for forming retractile cords, and more particularly to appara-' tus for forming cords in helical form upon a mandrel.

In the manufacture of certain types of retactile cords, each cord is coiled into a helix on a mandrel, and is twisted axially as it is so coiled. After such a cord has been coiled on a mandrel, the ends thereof are held to the mandrel and the cord is heated and cooled while in a complete helix. The ends of the cord then are straightened to provide straight connecting portions of the cord. In the past, apparatus for forming retractilc' cords required considerable amount of manual operation and has not been satisfactory to form straight end portions of retractile cords without straightening operations after all portions of the cords have been set in helical form.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for forming retractile cords.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for simultaneously coiling and twisting cords on mandrels.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for automatically forming twisted and coiled retractile cords having straight end portions.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a mandrel upon which cordage may be coiled in helical form, and an elongated clamping element for clamping the end of a cord coiled on the mandrel, the end portion of said mandrel and an end of the clamping element being so constructed and arranged that said end of the clamping element interlockably engages the mandrel to hold the cord against uncoiling and against movement around the axis of the cord.

A complete understanding of the invention may beobtained from the following detailed description of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical section of an apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View generally similar to Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical view taken along line 'l---! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, vertical section taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical section taken along line 99 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section taken along line l0l0 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, an electric motor 20 (Fig. 1) in a housing 22 serves to 'drive a gear 24 through an adjustable pulley 26, a V-belt 28, an adjustable pulley and a shaft 32, which is mounted in a bearing 34 supported by a bracket 36 fixed to the housing 22. The gear 24 rotates a gear 38, which is mounted on a fixed post 40 by a radial and thrust bearing 42. The post 40 is fixed rigidly to the bracket 36, and supports rigidly a bevel gear 44, which is stationary with respect to the housing 22.

An internal frame 46 is secured to the gear 38 and is rotated by the gear 38 around the axis of the post 40. The upper end of the frame 46, as viewed in Fig. 1, is mounted by a radial bearing 48 secured in the upper portion of the housing 22, and is provided with a guide opening 50 con centric with a guide opening 52 formed in a bracket 54 mounted on the housing 22. The bracket 54 supports a pulley 56 and serves to guide cordage 58 from a supply reel 60 into the openings 52 and 50.

As the frame 46 is revolved, a bevel gear 62 is revolved around the bevel gear 44 and rotates a disc 64 through a shaft 66, a pulley 68, a belt 10, a pulley 12, a pulley 14, a belt 15, a pulley 18 and a shaft 80. A pulley 82 fixed to the shaft serves to rotate a distributor screw 84 through a belt 86 and a pulley 88. The disc 64 is cupshaped and is provided with a slot 90 into which a wing nut 92 fits. The wing nut 92 serves to tighten or loosen a clamping loop 94, and the wing nut and the clamping loop 94 are mounted on a yoke 95 (Fig. 9), which has a slot 98 therein designed to interlock with grooves Hill-I00 in a mandrel I02 to hold the mandrel against rotation with respect to the disc 64. The left end of the mandrel I 02, as viewed in Fig. 2, fits into a cylindrical socket I04 formed in the shaft 80.

A distributor head I06 is movable toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, through a nut segment I08 held in engagement with the distributor screw 84 by a lever H0, and is mounted on a guide bar H2. A rectangular guideway H4 formed in the head I05 guides the cordage to a U-shaped guide I [6 on the head, which guides the cordage to the mandrel I02. An adjustable actuating rod H8 frame 40.

carried by the distributor head enters an opening I20 in a bracket I2I as the distributor head approaches the right hand end of the mandrel, and a wedge-shaped end portion I22 of the rod engages a plunger I24 to force the plunger I24 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3. This causes the plunger to pivot a plate I26 and a camshaped tripper I28 secured thereto against the action of a spring-pressed plunger I30, and the tripper I28 is moved to a position in which it will actuate a limit switch I32 (Fig. 1).as it is revolved past the limit switch.

The limit switch I32, when actuated, stop the motor 20 and d-eenergizes a solenoid winding I34 (Fig. 8) to permit an armature I35 to be moved upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 8, by spring action. The position of a cam I38 pivotable on a mounting screw I42 is controlled by a flexible cable I48 fastened to the armature I30. When the solenoid winding I34 is deenergized, the cam I38 is moved from the position thereof shown in broken lines to the position thereof shownin full lines in Fig. '7 to move a lobe portion i44 of the cam out of the path of a cam follower I46 carried b the When the cam is in its broken-line position and the cam follower is carried by the frame 46 past the cam I38, the cam follower engages the lobe I44 and pivots a lever I48 about a pin I50 from the full-line position thereof shown in Fig. 8 to the broken-line position thereof. Then, as the lever I48 is moved past a lug i 54, the cam I38 holds a lug I52 on the lever 48 away from the lug I54 and the lug I52 does not engage the lug I54. When the solenoid winding is deenergized, the cam does not pivot the'lever I46 and the lug I52 engages the lug I 54.

The lug I54 is mounted slidably on a guideway I56 between stops I58 and I00, and a tension spring I62 normally holds the lug I54 against the stop I58. The guideway H58 is fastened rigidly to a ring I84 mounting a door 56 on the housing 22 with a thrust and radial bearing I58 fastened to the housing 22. When the lug I52 engages the lug I54, momentum of the frame 45 moves the door to a position unobstructing a doorway I in the housing. A hook I12 on the door stops the door, and this stops the frame in a position in which the mandrel I82 may be removed from the frame.

A yoke I14 (Fig. 4) identical with the yoke 86 carrying a clamping loop I and a wing nut I15 is designed to fit over an end portion of the mandrel I02 having grooves I11I11 therein. A yoke Operation The frame 48 is revolved to rotate the mandrel I02 through the disc 84, the wing nut 52, the clamping loop 94 and the yoke 98. the cordage 58 and winds it on the mandrel. As cordage 58 is wound on the mandrel, the distributor screw 84 moves the distributor head I88 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, through the nut segment I08 engaging the distributor screw 84.

This twists 7' The guideway I I4 formed in the distributor head I06 serves to guide the cordage 58 to the U-shaped guide I I6 of the head I06, which guides the cordage to the mandrel I02.

When the cordage 58 is coiled on the mandrel 02 with the number of turns desired for a retractile cord, the actuating rod II8 carried by the distributor head I00 is moved b the distributor head into the opening I20 (Fig. 3) in the bracket I2I to move the tripper I28 to the position in which it strikes the limit switch I32 (Fig. 1) as the tripper I28 is revolved past the limit switch, which stops the motor 20, and the frame 46 coasts.

Actuation of the limit switch I32 deenergizes the solenoid winding I34 (Fig. 8), and the armature I36 moves upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 8, from the full-1ine position thereof to the brokenline position thereof. This moves the lobe portion I44 of the cam I38 out of the path of the cam follower I46 carried by the frame 48, and the lug I52 engages the lug I54. The momentum of the frame 40 moves the door I66 to a position open ing the doorway I18 to provide access to the frame, and the frame and the door are stopped by the hook I12 mounted on the door in a position in which the mandrel I02 may be removed from the frame.

To remove the mandrel I02 from the frame 46, the yoke I14 is positioned on the mandrel I02 .in the grooves I11-I11 and the cordage 58 is clamped thereto to lock the yoke I14 on the mandrel. The yoke I18 is slid into the guideway I I4, and the cordage 58 then is clamped to the yoke I18 as shown in Fig. 4. The yoke I18 is locked against rotation by the configuration of the guideway to prevent untwisting of the cordage between the yoke I18 and the supply reel (Fig. 1). The cordage 58 then is severed between the yoke I14 and the yoke I18, and the mandrel I02 is removed from the sockets I04 and I8I after the socket I8I is s1id to the right, as vi wed in Fig. 2, to free the right hand end of the mandrel I 02 and to permit the left hand end thereof to be slid out of the socket I04. The yokes 96 and I14'fit into the grooves I00I00 and I11-! 11, and are locked thereby against pivotal movement around both the longitudinal axes of the mandrel and any axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel I02 except directly away from the mandrel. The cordage holds the yokes against movement directly away from the mandrel.

After the mandrel I02 with the cord wound thereon has been removed from the rest of the apparatus, the lever IIO (Fig. 2) is actuated to move the nut segment I08 out of engagement with the distributor screw 84, and the distributor head I06 is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, until the adjustable stop I84 carried by the head engages the abutment I 85 on the frame 46. The lever IIO then is actuated to move the nut sesment I88 back into engagement with the distributor screw. A second mandrel (not shown) identical with the mandrel I02 then is mounted in the sockets I04 and I80, and the yoke I18 with its clamping elements and the end portion of the cordage are pulled out of the guideway H4, and the yoke I18 is secured to the new mandrel and the disc 64. The door I86 then is closed, and the holding circuit is actuated by the momentary, manually operable switch 590 (Fig. 1) to energize the motor 20 and the solenoid winding I34. This starts the apparatus to wind the cordage into a second retractile cord in a manner identical with the above-described operation of winding of .aa retractile cord.

\ A plurality of mandrels like the mandrel I02 with cords woundthereon are placed in a suitable chamber (not shown), and the cords heated,

and cooled in the chamber to set them in the form in which they are held on the mandrels. The yokes like the yokes 96 and I14 then are unclamped from the ends of the cords, and the cords in retractile form with straight end portions are removed from the mandrels.

The above-described apparatus serves to form retractile cords with coiled central portions for retractility and straight end portions for leads without the necessity of coiling the end portions,

setting the entire cord in coiled form and then straightening the end portions. It forms the cords with a uniform twist, and requires very little manual effort. The cords on the mandrels clamped by the yokes and associated clamping elements may be handled conveniently for heat treating operations on the cords. r

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming retractile cords,

which comprises a mandrel upon which cordage may be coiled in helical form, and a clamping element for clamping the end of a cord coiled on the mandrel, an end portion of said mandrel and an end of the clamping element being so constructed and arranged that said end of the clamping element interlockably engages ,the mandrelto hold the cord against uncoiling and againstmovement around the axis of the cord.

2. An apparatus for forming retractile cords,

which comprises a mandrel upon which cordage may be coiled in helical form, and a pair {of elongated clamping elements for clamping. .the

ends of a cord coiled on the mandrel, the end portions of the mandrel and one end of each of the clamping elements being so constructed and arranged that said ends of the clamping elements interlockably engage the mandrel, to

end of the cordage to the mandrel when apredetermined length of the helix has been formed.

4. An apparatus for forming retractile-cords, which comprises a rotatable head, a mandrel, and a clamp for holding an end of a cord so constructed and arranged that it interlocks' -with the mandrel and the head so that the mandrel is rotated with the head, the clamp being-designed to be quickly detachable from the head.

5. An apparatus for forming retractile cords,

which comprises a rotatable head, a mandrel,

and a pair of clamps for holding ends' 'g -of a cord so constructed and arranged that theyin- -terlock' with the mandrel, one of the clamps serving to interlock with the head so that: the

mandrel is rotated with the head. 6. An apparatus for winding retractilejcords, which comprises a mandrel having grooves oppositely disposed thereon, a fork designed toslide into the grooves, whereby the fork is held against all movement with respect to the mandrel except movement transverselyvwith respect to and away aseane from the mandrel, means carried by the fork for securing cordage thereto, and a rotatable head designed to interlock with the fork for rotating the mandrel through the fork.

'7. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a mandrel having parallel grooves oppositely disposed thereon, a cordagegripping element having a parallel-sided notch therein fittable over the grooved portion of the mandrel, whereby the element may be held against all movement with respect to the mandrel except transversely away from the mandrel, and a rotatable head designed to interlock with the cordage-gripping element for rotating the mandrel through the cordage-gripping element.

8. An apparatus for winding retractile cords. which comprises a revolvable carriage, means for revolving the carriage, an electric motor for driving the carriage-revolving means, a mandrel having a pair of grooves oppositely disposed therein near one end thereof, a forked plate designed to interlock with the grooved portion of the mandrel, cordage-clamping means carried by the plate, a head stock mounted on the carriage for receiving the end portion of the mandrel and for interlocking with the cordage-clamping means, a tail stock for receiving the other end of the mandrel, means for rotating the head stock to rotate the mandrel through the cordageclamping means and the forked plate, a distributor screw extending along the mandrel when the mandrel is held by the head stock and the tail stock, a distributor carriage movable by the distributor screw from the head stock toward the tail stock andreleasable from the screw so that it may be quickly returned to the head stock, a cordage guide carried by the distributor carriage and having a socket'therein for receiving the forked plate to hold it against rotation, means driven by the carriage-driving means for rotating the distributor screw and the head stock, a

tripper carried by the carriage, a limit switch positioned near the path of travel of the tripper as the tripper is revolved with the carriage for stopping the motor when actuated, means operable by the distributor carriage when it approaches the tail stock for moving the tripper to a posi tion in which it actuates the limit switch, a housing having a door opening, a door slidable between a position closing the door opening and a position leaving the opening unobstructed, a lug resiliently mounted on the inside of the door, an arm mounted pivotally on the carriage between a position clearing the lug and a position engaging the lug, means normally operable forholding the arm in its position clearing the lug as the arm revolved by'the carriage past the lug, and

means actuable by actuation of the limit switch for deactivating the arm-holding means.

9. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a mandrel having grooves oppositely disposed thereon, a fork designed to slide into the grooves, whereby the fork is held against all movement with respect to the mandrel except movement transversely with respect to and away from the mandrel, and means carried by the fork for securing cordage thereto.

10. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a mandrel having parallel grooves oppositely disposed thereon, and a cordage-gripping element having a parallel-sided notch therein fittable over the grooved portion of the mandrel, whereby the element may be held against allmovement with respect to the m'andrel "except transversely away from the mandrel.

11. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a mandrel having a pair of grooves oppositely disposed therein near one end thereof, a forked plate designed to interlockwith the grooved portion of the mandrel, a cordageclamping means carried by the plate, a head stock for receiving the end portion of the mandrel and interlocking with the cordage-clamping means, a tail stock for receiving the other end 'a head stock for receiving one of the end portions of the mandrel and for interlocking with the cordage-clamping means on the plate interlocked with the mandrel at that end, a tail stock for receiving the other end of the mandrel, means for rotating the head stock to rotate the mandrel through the last-mentioned cordage-clamping means and forked plate, and means for distributing cordage on the mandrel.

13. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a revolvable carriage, means for revolving the carriage, an electric motor for drivingthe carriage-revolving means,- a mandrel having "a pair of grooves'oppositely disposed therein near one end thereof, a forked plate designed to interlock with the grooved portion of the mandrel, cordage-clamping means carried by the plate, a head stock mounted on the carriage for receiving the end portion of the mandrel and for interlocking with the cordage-clamping means, a tail stock for receiving the other end of the man- 'drel, means for rotating the head stock to rotate the mandrel through the cordage-clamping means and the forked plate, a distributor screw extending along the mandrel when the mandrel is held by the head stock and the tail stock, a distributor carriage movable by the distributor screw from the head stock toward the tail stock and releasable from the screw so that it may be quickly returned to the head stock, a cordage guide carried by the distributor carriage and having a socket therein for receiving theforked plate to hold it against rotation, means driven by the carriage-driving means for rotating the distributor screw and the head stock, a tripper carried by the carriage, a limit switch positioned near the path of travel of the tripper as the tripperis revolved with the carriage for stopping the motor when actuated, means operable by the distributor carriage when it approaches the tail stock for moving the tripper to a position in which it actuates the limit switch, a housing having a door opening, a door slidable between a position closing the door opening and a position leaving the opening unobstructed, a lug resiliently mounted on the inside of the door, an arm mounted pivotally on the carriage between a position clearing the lug and a position engaging the lug, means normally operable for holding the arm in its position clearing the lug as the arm is revolved by the carriage past the lug, means actuable by actuation of the limit switch for deactivating the .8 arm-holding means, and means for I stopping movement of the door by the arm in a position in which is provided convenient access to the mandrel for purposes of removing the mandrel from and inserting the mandrel in the stocks.

14. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a revolvable carriage, means for revolving the carriage, means for driving the carriage-revolving means, a mandrel having pairs-of grooves oppositely disposed therein near the ends thereof, a plurality of forked plates 'designed'to interlock with the grooved portions of the mandrel, cordage-clamping means carried by the plates, a head stock'mounted on the carriage for receiving an end portion of the mandrel and for interlocking with the cordage-clamping means carried by one of the plates interlocked with the portion of the mandrel near the last-mentioned end thereof, a tail stock for receiving the other end of the mandrel, means for rotating the head stock to rotate the mandrel through the'lastmentioned cordage-clamping means and the forked plate on which that cordage-clamping means is mounted, a cordage guide having a socket therein for receiving one of the forked plates to hold it against rotation and means for moving the cordage guide to distribute cordage on the mandrel.

15. An apparatus for winding retractile cords, which comprises a revolvable carriage, means for revolving the carriage, a mandrel having pairs of grooves oppositely disposed therein near the ends thereof, a plurality of forked plates designed to interlock with the grooved portions of the mandrel, cordage-clamping means carried by the plate, a head stock mounted on the carriage for receiving the end portion of the mandrel and rotating the mandrel, and one of the forked plates interlocked with the mandrel, a tail stock for receiving the other end of the mandrel, means for rotating the head stock to rotate the mandrel through the last-mentioned forked plate, and means for distributing cordage on the mandrel.

16. An apparatus for forming retractile cords, which comprises a rotatable mandrel, means for securing an end'of a length of cordage to said mandrel, means for rotating the mandrel to wind the cordage thereon, means responsive to rotation of the mandrel for uniformly distributing the cordage along the mandrel in the form of a helix as the mandrel is rotated, a rotatable carriage supporting the mandrel and the distributing means, means for rotating the carriage about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel whereby the cordage will be twisted as it is wound upon the mandrel, and means for se curing the free end of the length of cordage to said mandrel when a, predetermined length of the helix has been formed.

17. An apparatus for forming twisted retractile cords, which comprises a carriage rotatable about a predetermined axis, a mandrel carried by the carriage and rotatable about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the carriage, means for simultaneously rotating the carriage and the mandrel about their respective axes, means for securing an end of a length of cordage tosaid mandrel, means responsive to rotation of the mandrel for uniformly distributing the cordage along the mandrel in the form of a helix as the mandrel is rotated, said cordage of the helix having been twisted as a result of the simultaneous transverse rotation of the carriage, means responsive to movement of the distributing means PAUL R. POWELL. v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Heany June 7, 1910 Jones Nov. 24, 1925 Lowe Nov. 15, 1938 Webster et a1 Jan. 10, 1939 Kurtz Jan. 21, 1941 

